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Sunday, July 31, 2011

School of Congregational Development 2011 Review

As the School of Congregational Development ends tomorrow I thought I would take some time to give some highlights in quotes and other things learned. (I know what you are thinking, A NON-SERMON POST?!?!?!?) In random order....

There actually is a good list of how to do Vital Church Mergers and it only has 24 steps!

We live in a world where we think we can change our identities because we can change where we live, what we do, even our family and religion. This is exciting though because instead of being told what we are (factory worker, stay-at-home mom, doctor) by the world we can ask ourselves who God has created us to be.

It is out of chaos that God created the world but the chaos didn't leave it was simply ordered.

Culture is a deliberate choice & behavior is what we chose to live in.

God's judgement is allowing us to live in our vision. God's grace is allowing us to live into God's vision.

A manager asks "Are we doing things right?" A leader asks, "Are we doing right things?"

You have the power to change one person, yourself. God does the work on the rest.

Transformed = being shaped and formed by Jesus Christ.

All congregations have tribes who see things differently, just like the 12 spies who went into the Holy Land. Are we willing to take the human opinion and run back to the Egypt or are we willing to listen to the two and move forward?

Repentance has to be in the vocabulary and culture of any transformation. If you don't know what you have done/are doing wrong in God's eyes and will how can you/the congregation move forward?

Acts 20:20 point to the need of worship and small groups, "You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you, but have taught you publicly and house to house. (underlines added)

God wants all churches to grow larger, wider, deeper in influence until all the world is called back into right relationship. Did you catch that? ALL CHURCHES! No matter how big or small, our job is not done until every human being believes.

Our job is to retell the creation story that has happened, happening, and will happen.

The church exists for those who are not yet there.

This has been a great conference and I have felt I have learned a ton. The challenge will be taking all this information, all this new knowledge and putting it into action.